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Show O O i , 5 f 1 ' : 11 1111 -JS A M30t VIEWPOINT Literature conference hot item on campus this week The National Undergraduate Literature Conference held through Saturday at Weber State University is a crowning feather in the cap of the English department, the community and the university. WSU students should not pass up the opportunity to hear fellow students from other institutions and noted authors and poets on numerous captivating topics. The conference, the only one of its kind in the country, presents an opportunity for undergraduate students from 13 states to give a presen tation of original papers, creative works and projects in a scholarly setting. This opportunity, to read original artistic works to an audi ence, is usually reserved for graduate students. However, WSU is offering a chance for undergraduates from all over the country to present their works. To make the conference complete, conference officials have invited notable authors and poets to present their works and speak to students and faculty. This year, students can hear from Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler and acclaimed poet Tess Gallagher. The conference will feature Butler, winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his short-story collection, "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain." The film rights for the book were also purchased by Wayne Wang, director of "The Joy Luck Club." Butler's first novel was rejected for publication 21 times, and was finally published in 1981 by Horizon Press. The novel's film rights were later purchased. Critically-acclaimed poet Gallagher will also speak at the conference. Gallagher most recently served as production adviser for the movie "Short Cu ts," based on stories written by her la te husband, Raymond Carver. The American Library Association selected Gallagher's "Moon Crossing Bridge" as one of only two books of poetry on the 1993 Notable Books List. "This conference gives undergraduates a rare chance to share their work," said L. Mikel Vause, associate professor of English at WSU. "They also have the opportunity to hear and meet notable professional writers." WSU has a quality English program, and with the National Undergraduate Literature Conference, undergraduate students have a chance to present their craft and hear from those whose talent has made a mark on the literary world. The Signpost Recipient of the UPA General Excellence award Editor in chief Managing editor News editor A&E editor Sports editor Copy editor Asst. copy editor Features editor Special editions Campus affairs Photo editor Production editor Ad designer Ad manager Asst. ad manager Secretary Adviser Publisher Reporter coach Jeff Haney Mark Forsberg Jennifer King Tyson Hiatt Jared Page Hillary Schultz Kimberli Longhurst Laurie Albrechtsen Chad Mosher Bryan Stephens Steve Conlin Dawn Webber Phil Mickey Jennifer Belnap Todd Wangsgard Laura Jane Hansen P. Larry Stahle Dr. Randy Scott Dr. S. Josephson The Signpost Phone numbers Editor in chief Managing editor News desk Arts desk Sports desk Production Advertising Adviser Fax 626-7121 626-7105 626-7507 626-7105 626-7983 626-6358 626-6359 626-7120 626-7401 The Signpost is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during Fall, Winter and Spring quarters. Subscription is $9 a quarter. The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Letters must Include name, address, phone number, relationship o staff and the signature of the writer. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refute to print any letter. Bring letters to the editorial office in UB 267 or mall to: The Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408-2110. Attn: Jeff Haney, editor In chief. Tfm4 toti WW,I75 OUST THE MEMAY 1 Editorial -Comment Coach comments on athlete graduation rate My name As Lawrence Livingston, and I am an assistant football coach here at Weber State University and I had to take a moment to respond to an article in Monday's, April 11 edition of The Signpost. First, when I looked at the headline "WSU Football Fails in Athlete Graduation," I thought to myself, "Hey, wait a minute." I played football here at WSU, and I graduated. Coach Robb Akey was an honorable mention Ail-American here at WSU, he graduated. Coach Rich Ericson, who coaches our QB's and RB's, played here at WSU. He not only graduated, but has also earned his master's degree at WSU. In fact, our head football coach Dave Arslanian played here at WSU, and he also graduated. Now, I could go on and on, but I'll stop with the coaching staff. As I continued reading the article I quickly realized they were talking about black football players. The article was using as a source a survey done by Emerge Magazine, looking at freshmen entering college from 1983 to 1986. Now this brought three things to mind: 1) I wonder what guys like Pat Johnson, Norm Haney, Karl Wilson and Tony Downs would think since they were black football players who came right to my mind, who came here as freshman during those years and graduated, 2) Where does this survey list the junior college transfers which, if you look at all the black football players that played at WSU during those years, half of them came here out of junior college. Guys like Steve Baty, Tony Dozier, Gerald Pitts and Montone White and many more came here and graduated, 3) During those years this was Mike Price's football program. In 1989, Arslanian took over the program, Lawrence B. Livingston, Sr. WSU assistant football coach and he didn't have to change much on the field. The major emphasis of his changes were off the field. The biggest of these is our number one goal of our football program, which is to graduate 100 percent of our football players. Now, we are not there yet, but neither is any other university or athletic program in the country. However, in the last five years that we have been in charge of the program, we have been taking concrete steps in working toward that goal. For example, we now require our football players to take a minimum of 15 hours instead of 12 so they stay on track toward graduation. If one of our players has less than a 2.5 cumulative GPA they are required to be in mandatory study hall. I These steps as well as many others are now showing results, especially with ou r black players who have raised their average cumulative GPA to 2.32. In fact, in the Dec. 2, 1993 edition of Black Issues in Higher Education magazine they recognized minority sport scholars looking at both athletic and academic achievement. Our football program had four young men honored. First, pcric Gurley, a marketing major, was selected first team with a 3.81 cum GPA, and he was also an NCAA postgraduate scholarship winner. Steve Huff, a finance major, was honored with a 3,01 GPA. These people I have mentioned are all black and played football at WSU. To me this is not failing! Finally, I wish to make two more points. First, in your Mon day article the author (who is a former WSU black football player who finished playing in 1990 and is still receiving aid from the athletic department to help him finish his degree) uses Kelvin Dexter, a former offensive lineman for us, as a specific example. I worked with Kelvin as a graduate assistant coach in 1986-87. 1 left in '88 to take a simila r position at the United States Military Academy. When Arslanian became head coach in 1989 he brought me back as a full-time assistant coach. At that time Kelvin had fallen way behind in his studies. Because of the commitment that Arslanian made to Kelvin and because of my personal commitment to Kelvin, I worked closely with him to bring his grades back up, and I have a great amount of respect for Kelvin. However, what was not mentioned in the article is that after Kelvin's senior season we wanted him to remain in our mandatory study hall so we could help keep him keep his GPA above 2.0 so we could keep him on until he finished. Kelvin refused, saying that he could do it on his own. When his GPA went below 2.0 we couldn't put him back on aid until he got his GPA back above that level. Finally, the last point I would like to make is in the first paragraph of your article, "Weber State University football has earned its highest national ranking, 22nd. Unfortunately this ranking represents the failure to graduate black football players from its program." I would like to point out that in 1991 we finished 15th in the nation on the field. In 1987 we finished 10th, and in 1965 we finished 5th. That was WSU's highest ranking! Support WSU football. . . we have a solid program and with everyone's support we can make it even greater. |